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International Paralympic Committee

Paralympic Games / IPC

Last modified: 2006-01-14 by juan manuel gabino villascán
Keywords: paralympic games | international paralympic committee | international sports organization | tae-geuk | sports | organizations | games |
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[The IPC flag adopted in 2004.]
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán,
based on International Paralympic Committee Standards Manual.
Flag adopted: April 2004.

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Other sites:

The IPC logo, motto and flag

April, 2003. At its meeting in Athens on 5 April 2003, the IPC Executive Committee decided on a new corporate identity for the IPC. Working with the internationally renowned agency Scholz & Friends and many of the IPC stakeholders, a new look for the organisation was created, centred on the new direction of the IPC.

The new Paralympic logo consists of three elements in red, blue and green—the three colours that are most widely represented in national flags around the world. The shape of the three elements symbolises the new vision of the IPC “To Enable Paralympic Athletes to Achieve Sporting Excellence and to Inspire and Excite the World”. The universality of the Paralympic Movement is shown through the round shape of the entire logo—symbolising the globe.

"Spirit in Motion" is the new Paralympic motto, expressing the inspirational character of the Paralympic Movement as well as elite performance of Paralympic athletes. It also stands for the strong will of every Paralympian. The word "Spirit" is derived from the notion that the IPC, like the athletes it represents, has a drive to compete and to succeed. But the IPC not only stages high performance sporting events, the strong message of the Movement accompanies it: the Paralympic Spirit. “Motion” relates to the idea that the IPC is truly moving forward—an organisation that realises its potential and is now striving to achieve it. Motion is ever present in the Movement, be it through athletes setting new records or the never-ending enthusiasm of volunteers and staff. Also, the Paralympian will have a new look in the future. The IPC is starting to use the new logo in all new publications and other products, and is looking forward to finalising this process by the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony.When handing over the flag to Beijing, a flag with the new logo will be used. The transition will be completed and from that day on, the old logo will no longer be used.

This new Paralympic look will also be seen in the logos of National Paralympic Committees and future organising committees of Paralympic Games. However, due to the limited time before the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games,ATHENS 2004 and participating delegations will continue using the three tae-geuks, which have stood for the mind, body and spirit of Paralympic athletes and the long way the IPC has come in the first 14 years of its existence.

From International Paralympic Committee.
Reported by: Daniel De Boni, October 16, 2004.

[The IPC flag adopted in 2004 - vertical hanging version.]
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán,
based on International Paralympic Committee Standards Manual.

[Construciton sheet of the IPC flag.]
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán,
based on International Paralympic Committee Standards Manual.

[Construciton sheet of the IPC vertical hanging flag.]
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán,
based on International Paralympic Committee Standards Manual.

History of the IPC flag and logo

At the 1988 Summer Paralympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, Tae-Geuks were used in the logo for sports for athletes with a disability for the first time. This logo consisted of five Tae-Geuks which were similar, in colour and configuration, to the Olympic Rings. At the end of these Games the logo was adopted by the International Coordinating Committee of World Sports Organizations for the Disabled (ICC). When the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was created in 1989, the new committee also adopted the five Tae-Geuks as its symbol.
In 1991 the IPC changed its logo at the request of the IOC, which felt the similarity of their logos was confusing and might hamper marketing. Thus the IPC eventually decided on a symbol of three Tae-Geuks, representing the Paralympic Motto: Mind, Body, and Spirit. However, since the Lillehammer Paralympic Organizing Committee (LPOC) had by then already started a marketing program for the 1994 Paralympic Winter Games based on the old logo, the new logo wasn't officially launched until after Lillehammer 1994.
Logo.doc - International Paralympics Committee

[The IPC flag as used in 1989-1994]
by Juan Manuel Gabino villascán, December 2005.
Source: International Paralympic Committee

[The IPC flag used since 1991 until 2004.]
by Victor Lomantsov, 24 September 2003.
Source: Andreas Herzfeld, Flags and logos of International Sports Federations, Associations and Organizations. Deutsche Gesellshaft fur Flaggenkunde e.V. 2000
Flag adopted: 1991
Officially launched: 1994.

Section I - Constitution and By Laws

Chapter 4 - The paralympic Movement Symbols, Rights and Obligations

(...)

3. PARALYMPIC SYMBOL
The Paralympic Symbol consists of the three "Tae-Geuks", blue, red, and green, symbolizing the most significant components of the human being: Mind, Body, Spirit. The Pantone colours and configurations are outlined in the graphic guidelines "IPC Standards Manual" which is mandatory to followed for any reproduction of the symbol.

4. PARALYMPIC MOTTO
The Paralympic Motto is "Mind, Body, Spirit", alluding to the most significant components of the human being.

5. PARALYMPIC FLAG
The Paralympic Flag has a white background, with no border. In its centre is located the Paralympic Symbol in its three colours.

Source: The handbook of the International Paralympic Committee, as used in 1994-2003.

History of the Paralympics

On 28 july 1948, the Opening Day of the London Olympic Games, in Stoke Mandeville, England, a sport competition was held for World War II veterans with a spinal cord injury. Four years later an international movement was born, as competitors from Holland joined these games.

The first Olympic style Games for athletes with disabilities were held in Rome in 1960, in the same venues as the Rome Olympics. The games in Tokyo in 1964 appear to have been the first Paralympic game using a special flag, though not the flag the IPC uses today. In 1976 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden was the host of the first Paralympic Winter Games, and both at these Games and the Games in Toronto that same year, other disability groups took part, giving rise to the idea of merging together different disability groups for international sport competitions. Since Seoul 1992 the Paralympic Games always take place at the same venues as the Olympic Games.

In 1982 the different world organisations for sports for the disabled formed the International Coordinating Committee of World Sports Organisations for the Disabled (ICC). However, it was soon felt that the ICC should be replaced by a more democratic organisation, which led in 1989 to the formation of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Jan Oskar Engene, 13 June 1998; and
Website of the International Paralympics Committee